Coffee Pod for Point of Sale Device

ABSTRACT

A shell less, biodegradable coffee pod for use with a point of sale coffee pod dispensing device. The pod is compressible for pleated or stacked storage and linearly linked to a series of substantially similar pods by a flexible, hingeable separable tab bridging between adjacent pods. The pods have a support structure that is affixed to a fillable well. Each well is expandable with an expanding means (utilizing a burst of air, a vacuum or mechanical pusher) as the series of pods is mechanically advanced along a tractor feed style conveyor belt that passes the pod to a ground coffee bean filling unit, a sealing unit and a pod separating unit.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and TrademarkOffice patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates, in general, to individualized packagingfor coffee, tea, herbs, organics and generally elutable or dissolvablematerial and more particularly to personal brewing technology.

BACKGROUND

The American populace loves their coffee. Most people begin their daywith a cup of their favorite blend while others continue to partakethroughout the day, commonly obtaining it from a commercial vendor suchas Starbucks®. However, of lately, many brew their own coffee using anindividual brewing device such as a Keurig® brand coffee brewer. Theseallow for individual sized brewings using what have been come to beknown as “k cups” or “coffee pods”.

Along with a populace that loves their coffee, come a segment of coffeeaficionados. This breed of coffee drinker seeks specific coffee beans orcoffee bean blends. The commercial coffee vendor market has rallied tomeet this segment's demand, with most stores offering a plethora ofcoffee beans, however the selection of available coffee pods lags farbehind. This is understandable, as to stock numerous blends of quantityboxed coffee pods takes up valuable store space. Thus, the coffeeaficionado that relies on their individual brewing device has a ratherlimited selection.

This situation worsens when the coffee aficionado is at a location awayfrom his individual brewing device or only has bulk brewingcapabilities. Such an example would be rough woods camping. With thecost of these specialty beans as high as they are, no one wants to wastegood coffee on the unappreciative or those with an undiscerning palate.

Additionally, to date the commercially available coffee pods are madefrom non biodegradable polymers. In the absence of standards governingthe reporting of all “green” product packaging, manufactures report lowweight percentages of non biodegradable materials in their pods based onthe inclusion of the coffee (often even wet).

Henceforth, an improved system that allows the coffee aficionado thatuses an individual brewing device (or that only has the most rudimentarybrewing equipment such as a pot a fire and water) to brew their favoriteblend would fulfill a long felt need in the coffee industry. Such asystem made truly “green” would further offer an ecological benefit.This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in aunique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problemsand accomplish this.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In accordance with various embodiments, an apparatus for allowing theindividualized brewing of specialty coffee is provided.

In one aspect, a specialty coffee pod is provided that is made from 100%by weight biodegradable materials, therein reducing the amount of nonbiodegradable material going into the landfills.

In another aspect, an apparatus that requires the bare minimum ofequipment to brew a cup of coffee and that can be tailored to userspecific tastes is provided.

In yet another aspect, a custom fillable coffee pod that can be usedwith a high speed, high volume, point of sale mechanized coffeedistributing device is provided.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the embodimentsdiscussed without departing from the scope of the invention. Forexample, while the embodiments described above refer to particularfeatures, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments havingdifferent combination of features and embodiments that do not includeall of the above described features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particularembodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions ofthe specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals areused to refer to similar components. In some instances, a sub-label isassociated with a reference numeral to denote one of multiple similarcomponents. When reference is made to a reference numeral withoutspecification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to allsuch multiple similar components.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the intended process flow and usefor an embodiment of the coffee pod;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representative illustration of an embodiment ofthe coffee pod as used in a mechanized point of sale coffee dispensingdevice;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment coffeedistributing machine using an embodiment of the coffee pod;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment coffeedistributing machine using an embodiment of the coffee pod;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a single linear array of coffee podsshowing its structural evolution throughout the coffee filling process;

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment coffee pod;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the second embodiment coffee pod;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of the third embodiment coffee pod;

FIGS. 9a and 9b are front perspective views of the coffee pod in thecompressed and inflated configurations;

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the fourth embodiment of thecoffee pod utilizing a carrier tape for liner connection; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a double linear array of coffee podsshowing its structural evolution throughout the coffee filling process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

While various aspects and features of certain embodiments have beensummarized above, the following detailed description illustrates a fewexemplary embodiments in further detail to enable one skilled in the artto practice such embodiments. The described examples are provided forillustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of theinvention.

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the described embodiments. It will be apparent to oneskilled in the art, however, that other embodiments of the presentinvention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Inother instances, certain structures and devices are shown in blockdiagram form. Several embodiments are described herein, and whilevarious features are ascribed to different embodiments, it should beappreciated that the features described with respect to one embodimentmay be incorporated with other embodiments as well. By the same token,however, no single feature or features of any described embodimentshould be considered essential to every embodiment of the invention, asother embodiments of the invention may omit such features.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers herein used to expressquantities, dimensions, and so forth, should be understood as beingmodified in all instances by the term “about.” In this application, theuse of the singular includes the plural unless specifically statedotherwise, and use of the terms “and” and “or” means “and/or” unlessotherwise indicated. Moreover, the use of the term “including,” as wellas other forms, such as “includes” and “included,” should be considerednon-exclusive. Also, terms such as “element” or “component” encompassboth elements and components comprising one unit and elements andcomponents that comprise more than one unit, unless specifically statedotherwise.

As used herein, the term “coffee pod” refers to the individualizedcoffee bean filled containers of the present invention, however it isknown that tea, herbs, coco, powdered milk, and other dissolvable orelutable materials may be substituted for the coffee beans packaged inthe containers of the present invention. Any reference to coffee hereinshall be understood to incorporate the aforementioned materials.

As used herein the terms “inflatable” and “inflatably expanedable” referto the characteristic of a body in a spatially compressed configurationthat may be expanded to its full spatial configuration with theapplication of air, application of a vacuum or application of amechanical pusher there into. The body need not be airtight to allowthis expansion.

As used herein the term “means for separation” refers to a mechanicaldevice disposed between adjacent coffee pods that allows for theseparation of the pods by such means as tearing, increasing in physicalspacing between pods, twisting or stretching and cutting. Perforationsincorporated onto the tab joining adjacent coffee pods would be oneexample thereof.

As used herein the term “compressible” refers to the ability for anarticle to be reduced to a spatially compressed configuration thatrepresents a fraction of the space that it occupies in its expanded oroperational state.

As used herein, the term “biodegradable” means 100% natural materialcapable of breaking down to a cellular level by decomposed by bacteriaor other living organisms.

The terms “means for separation” and “means for the connected movementof an array of separable individual pods” as used herein including theclaims, is to be interpreted according to 35 USC 112, [para] 6.

The present invention relates to a novel design for a coffee pod thatmay be utilized in conjunction with a high speed, high volume point ofsale, mechanized coffee distributing device.

While certain features and aspects have been described with respect toexemplary embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize thatnumerous modifications are possible. For example, while various methodsand processes described herein may be described with respect toparticular structural and/or functional components for ease ofdescription, methods provided by various embodiments are not limited toany particular structural and/or functional architecture. Similarly,while certain functionality is ascribed to certain system components,unless the context dictates otherwise, this functionality can bedistributed among various other system components in accordance with theseveral embodiments.

The coffee pod is best disclosed after an brief explanation of the pointof sale device in which the pod is designed to be stored, expanded,filled, sealed, detached from its array, and dispensed. This is bestillustrated with reference to FIGS. 1-4 explaining the concept, generaloperation and various embodiments of the point of sale coffee poddevice. This device allows a user to fill a series of coffee pods withtheir choice of a particular ground coffee bean or a blend thereof.These pods will be operationally compatible with most of the popular,commercially available, individual cup coffee brewing machines

Looking at FIG. 1 it can be seen that the process flow for the point ofsale coffee pod dispensing device involves advancing a compressed coffeepod 2 from out of its stored configuration in tube 3, expanding the pod,filling the expanded pod 4 with ground coffee, and sealing the top ofthe filled, expanded pod 4 with an advancing roll of adhesive lids 6.This generally progresses along a linear path within the device. Simplystated, it utilizes linked, continuous-feed capable array ofcompressible coffee pods. In this conceptual process flow the storage ofthe compressed coffee pods is done in a tube 4 while it is envisionedthat the compressed pods 2 may be stored in a plethora of otherconfigurations as would be well known in the industry. One suchconfiguration would be in a repeating “Z” folded configuration whileconnected to adjacent compressed pods 2. The number of compressed pods 2between folds is variable.

FIG. 2 shows an alternate process flow for the point of sale coffee poddispensing device 5 involving advancing a compressed coffee pod 2 storedin an coiled belt configuration 8, expanding the pod with air expander7, filling the expanded pod 4 with freshly ground coffee from agrinding/dosing unit 10, cleaning the section of advancing belt fromdebris and coffee grinds with a surface cleaner 12, sealing the top ofthe filled, expanded pod 4 with a cap, ejecting the pod 4 from the beltwith an ejector 14 into a vacuum pack bag 16 for dispensing to thecustomer.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the general arrangement and operation of thepreferred embodiment. The embodiment of FIG. 3 shows the advancement ofa connected linear series of compressed pods 2 along a tractor styleconveyor belt 18 that passes through a means for well expanding which inthe referred embodiment is an air inflation unit 20, a grinding/dosingunit 10, a cap sealing unit 22, a separation station 24 and an ejectionstation 26. The compressed coffee pod 2 evolves into an expanded coffeepod 4 that is then filled and sealed to become a dispensable coffee pod21. The embodiment of FIG. 4 varies only by the number ofgrinding/dosing units 10 available. With the embodiment of FIG. 4 it ispossible to blend multiple coffee beans into each individual pod for anindividualized flavor.

As can be seen the preferred embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, theadvancement of the coffee pods from their compressed storage state tothe dispensed, filled and sealed coffee pods is best mechanizedutilizing a means for the connected movement of an array of individuallyseparable coffee pods 28 (a ribbon format). This array of coffee pods ismade into a single linear configuration wherein each compressed pod 2 isconnected to its two adjacent compressed pods 2 (the one in front andthe one behind) by a connection tab 31 with a means for separation 30disposed thereon. (FIG. 5) (Alternate versions of this design utilize atape format wherein there are multiple ribbon formats of the series ofcoffee pods that reside parallel to one another and are conjoined ontheir sides as disclosed further herein and illustrated in FIG. 11.)

In the preferred embodiment the pods will reside on a specific locationon a conveyor belt or track 36. This positioning may be accomplishedwith a revolving toothed cog or gear that advances and locates thelinear array of pods via a series of perforations (not illustrated)formed through the upper face of the pod, as is well known in theindustry. In the preferred embodiment there are a series of orificesformed through the track 36 in which the well section of the podsreside, once inflated/expanded.

In the preferred embodiment, this means for separation is a series ofperforations formed through the approximate center of the connection tab31 joining the coffee pods. (FIG. 6) Looking at the manner of separationof the expanded, filled coffee pods 4 in the preferred embodiment, itcan be seen that as the pods 4 reach the curved end of the track 36 theleading pod 38 drops from the planar path the linear array 28 has beentraversing and follows the oval path of the track 18. In doing so, twoeffects are put into motion. First, the tab hinges about its approximatemidpoint which is where the means for separation 30 resides. Second, thedistance between the tops of the adjacent filled coffee pods increases.Each of these effects put stress on the means for separation 30 causingthe perforations to tear and the adjacent pods to separate.

There is a plethora of other embodiments which the means for separation30 could take. It could be a line of flexible mastic joining two shorttabs that abut each other, it could be a releasable, flexible, adhesivestrip spanning and affixed to two short tabs extending from each coffeepod top, it could be a frangible strip residing between two short tabsextending from the coffee pod top, or the like. In an other embodimentof the means to separate, the filter media used to form the fillablewell could be made from a roll of filter media extended beyond the wellto conjoin adjacent coffee pods 4, possibly forming the wells onadjacent coffee pods. The coffee pods would then lack a tab but rather,would be conjoined in a linear fashion by the length of filter mediathat formed all of the wells. There could be notches or perforationlines on any of the aforementioned means to allow separation in the waydescribed that occurs at the curved end of the track 36, The primarycriteria for selection would be the resilience to minor twisting orexpansive forces below a critical level without allowing the release ofadjacent pods.

In the first, simplest, embodiment of FIG. 6 the filter pod 4 is but asupport structure affixed to a well section 50. The well section 50 is aconcave formed filter element, generally having filaments approximately20 micrometres wide, which allow particles to pass through which areless than approximately 10 to 15 micrometres in diameter. This willallow capture of the oily organic components called diterpenes presentin unfiltered coffee. It will be made of a natural, 100% biodegradablefibre. The well section 50 will have an upper flange 52 that has its topface adhesively affixed to the periphery of a bottom face of the upperlid 56 by a 100% biodegradable adhesive 54. (Generally this will be of acellulose food grade sealable gum.) The well will generally beconstructed of material flexible enough to avoid any bottom piercingactions of certain single serve coffee brewing equipment.

In this embodiment the support structure is only the upper lid 56 andadhesive 54. The well section may be stretched or pleat folded with orwithout the use of a concave mold to form its concave configuration. Theupper lid 56 is generally circular and has a pair of connection tabs 31extending therefrom its exterior periphery. The upper lid 56 is made ina connected linear series with upper lids used for the adjacent coffeepods 4. The connection tabs 31 are disposed 180 radial degrees apart onthe upper lid 56. The means for separating 30 is seen as a linear seriesof perforations extending axially across the tabs 31 at the midpointbetween adjacent upper lids 56. The cap 62 is separate from the rest ofthe coffee pod 4 and is adhesively affixed to the periphery of the upperface of the upper lid 56 by a 100% biodegradable adhesive 54.

It is to be noted that the upper lid 56 has an orifice 64 therein toaccommodate both the means for well expanding (air inflater) and thedoser so as to allow the expansion of the pod 4 and the insertion ofground coffee beans. The upper lid 56 will be made of a 100%biodegradable material such as a natural paper or cellulose fiber. Theupper lid 56 will act as a stiffener and be of thick enough material andwill have enough material existing about its planar surface to ensurethat the coffee pod 4 does not collapse when being pierced by a singleserving coffee brewing machine. The cap 62 will also be made of a 100%biodegradable material.

The second embodiment coffee pod of FIG. 7 retains the same structuralelements as the first embodiment but to the support structure is addedan additional stiffener ring 68 that has its upper face adhesivelyaffixed by the biodegradable adhesive 54 to the bottom face of the wellsection 50. The stiffener ring 68 is also made of a 100% biodegradablematerial, preferably from the same natural paper or cellulose fiber theupper lid 56 is made from.

The third embodiment of FIG. 8 retains many of the same structuralelements as the first embodiment except it incorporates the cap 62 andits adhesive layer 54 onto an upper lid assembly 70 in a hingeablefashion. This type of coffee pod is used with an embodiment of coffeepod dispensing device that folds the upper lid assembly 70 onto itselfabout its hinge point 72. Although not illustrated, the upper lidassembly 70 may be utilized with the first embodiment coffee pod as wellby the elimination of the stiffener ring 68 and its adhesive layer 54.

FIG. 10 shows yet another coffee pod embodiment that has an additionaldeep stiffener ring 74 that may be used with or without the stiffenerring 68. The deep stiffener ring 74 is not planar but rather has a shortcylindrical extension 76 the extends perpendicularly from the flangesection 78. This adds rigidity to the entire support structure thusallowing for the use of thinner elements. The deep stiffener ring 74 maybe made from 100% biodegradable material or where extreme strength isneeded, it may be fabricated from a polymer. The embodiment with thedeep stiffener ring has drawbacks in that these pods do not stack aswell as those pods without it.

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a double linear array of coffee pods(tape format) 80 showing its structural evolution throughout the coffeefilling process. This is similar to the single linear array of FIG. 5but instead of being in a ribbon format, (single linear array) it has atleast another adjacent single linear array arranged in parallel so as toform a tape format (two or more parallel and conjoined linear arrays).This would allow for better stacking. The pods would thus be joined onthree or four sides, depending on the width of the tape format which isbased on the number of conjoined single linear arrays in the tape.

It is to be noted that similar to the ribbon format, in the tape formateach compressed pod 2 is seperably connected to its three or fouradjacent compressed pods 2 (the one in front, the one behind, and theone on the left or right side, or the two on both the left and rightsides) by a connection tab 31 with a means for separation 30 disposedthereon. Alternate embodiments of the means for separation, as discussedabove, may be utilized and more than one embodiment of means forseparation may be used on the conjoined pods in a single tape format 80.

The expansion of the compressed coffee pod 2 (FIG. 9a ) into theexpanded coffee pod 4 (FIG. 9b ) is accomplished by an air expander thatprovides a burst of past the upper lid orifice 64 and into the wellsection 50 to inflateably expand the well section into its concaveconfiguration. In an alternate embodiment, a mechanical rod may passbeyond the upper lid orifice 64 and into the well section 50 tomechanically expand the well section 50.

As can be seen from the above disclosure, a linear series ofsuccessively linked compressible, shell less coffee pods having a meansfor separating coffee pods located on the hingeable connection tabs,allows for the rapid commercial filling of individual coffee pods.Elimination of the conventional water-tight polymer pods results in acoffee pod that may be used with or without a single serving coffeemachine. It is ideal for making a single hot cup of coffee from a cup ofboiling water or a single cold cup of tea.

The packaging of the conventional polymer hard shell coffee pods adds anupcharge to the price of the coffee by approximately 30%. Not only doesthe present invention drastically minimize this, it allows the user toselect their own, fresh blend of coffee (or their desired brewable organmaterial) in an amount of coffee pods that they need. The biodegradablefeature of the entire coffee pod just adds to the environmentalfriendliness of the device.

The system components described according to a particular structuralarchitecture and/or with respect to one embodiment may be organized inalternative structural architectures. Hence, while various embodimentsare described with—or without—certain features for ease of descriptionand to illustrate exemplary aspects of those embodiments, the variouscomponents and/or features described herein with respect to a particularembodiment can be substituted, added, and/or subtracted from among otherdescribed embodiments, unless the context dictates otherwise.Consequently, although several exemplary embodiments are describedabove, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to coverall modifications and equivalents within the scope of the followingclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:
 1. A brewable organicmaterial pod array for use with a point of sale brewable material podpackaging dispenser comprising: a means for the connected movement of anarray of separable individual pods; wherein said means is separable intoat least one individual pod.
 2. The brewable organic material pod arrayof claim 1 wherein said individual pods are connected to an adjacent podby a tab.
 3. The brewable organic material pod array of claim 2 whereinsaid individual pods connected to said adjacent pods form a lineararray, and wherein said tab is hingeable and separable about a means forseparation disposed on said tab between said adjacent pods.
 4. Thebrewable organic material pod array of claim 2 wherein said pod has afillable well section affixed to a support section.
 5. The brewableorganic material pod array of claim 3 wherein said well section iscompressible for planar storage and pleated stacking.
 6. The brewableorganic material pod array of claim 5 wherein said well section isexpandable.
 7. The brewable organic material pod array of claim 5wherein said pod is top sealable by the application of a membrane atopof said support section.
 8. The brewable organic material pod array ofclaim 1 further comprising at least one of a portion of brewablematerial disposed within at least one of said pods.
 9. The brewableorganic material pod array of claim 4 wherein said support section iscomprised of an upper lid, adhesively affixed to an upper face of saidwell section.
 10. The brewable organic material pod array of claim 9wherein said support section also comprises a stiffener ring adhesivelyaffixed to a lower face of said well section.
 11. The brewable organicmaterial pod array of claim 10 wherein said upper lid also comprises acap hingeably extending from said lid, said cap adhesively affixable tosaid upper lid.
 12. A brewable organic material pod array for use with apoint of sale brewable material pod packaging dispenser comprising: alinear array of at least two compressible, brewable adjacent materialpods; and a connecting member residing between said adjacent materialpods wherein said connecting member allows for the brewable materialpods to hingeably pivot with respect to said adjacent material pods. 13.The brewable organic material pod array of claim 12 further comprising:a means for separating connected adjacent pods disposed on saidconnecting member; said separating means allowing the forcibledetachment of pods from said material pod array.
 14. The brewableorganic material pod array of claim 4 wherein said material pods have asupport section comprised of an upper lid, adhesively affixed to anupper face of a compressible well section for the retention of brewablematerial therein.
 15. The brewable organic material pod array of claim14 wherein said well section is inflatably or mechanically expandable.16. The brewable organic material pod array of claim 15 wherein saidsupport section also comprises a stiffener ring adhesively affixed to alower face of said well section.
 17. The brewable organic material podarray of claim 16 further comprising a cap adhesively affixable to saidupper lid.
 18. The brewable organic material pod array of claim 17further comprising an adhesive, said adhesive disposed between saidstiffener ring and said lower face as well as between said upper lid andsaid upper face; and wherein said adhesive is completely biodegradable.19. The brewable organic material pod array of claim 17 wherein saidstiffener ring, said cap, said upper lid and said well section are madeof completely biodegradable materials.
 20. A brewable organic materialpod array for use with a point of sale brewable material pod packagingdispenser comprising a linked, continuous-feed capable linear array ofexpandable, compressed coffee pods.